Automatic railroad-signal.



w. H. HARRIS. AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED 101.10. 16. 1907.

Patented Dc; 1.190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 1

mvmroa WILL/AM HENRY HARRIS & of WITNESSES: x vafw THE Nolmls Psrsns cm, WISHINGTON, n. a H

PATENT curios.

WILLIAM HENRY HARRIS, OF STARK, MONTANAI AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

No. 905,308. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Application filed. December 16, 1907. Serial No. 406,736.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY HARRIS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Stark, in the county of Missoula and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railroad-Signals, of which the followingis a specification.

The purpose of my invention is to protect a train and its passengers from collisions both from the front and the rear. For this purpose I have divided the main line into blocks in such a way that one set of block signals continually overlaps its succeeding set of block signals, thus leaving at least one set of signals ahead and in the rear of the train at all times.

The signal is put into operation by a pliable attachment placed on the forward right hand side above the engineers cab, which hits against pivoted arm shaped rods at certain intervals, thus closing an electric circuit, the pivoted rod being held fast in its new position by an electro-magnet which remains magnetized until the train breaks the circuit as it leaves the block by hitting a second pivoted arm shaped rod which is carried to its corresponding fixed position and held there as long as the train is on this new block. The first circuit being now broken, the first pivoted arm falls back to its original position, thus adjusting itself for a second train that may happen along. As a set of block signals overlaps its succeeding set of signals, a pivoted arm is operated and a second set of signals established after the train has advanced half way up the first set of block signals. Thus when the signals of the first block are turned off as the train leaves it, there are still signalsiqi.

in the rear of the train due to this overlapping set of block signals.

With these and other objects in view for enhancing the value of automatic si naling my invention consists in the novel eatures of construction hereinafter fully described and concisely claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I is a diagrammatic representation of the main line of a railroad being protectdiagrammatic representation of the main line of a railroad being protected by my automatic signals in which a neutral wire is used, thus doing away with three wires shown in Fig. I. Fig. III is a. diagrammatic representation of a main line of a railroad being protected by my automatic signals in which the neutral wire shown in Fig. II is done away with and the steel rails of the railroad are used for the same. Fig. IV is a diagrammatic representation of my towers to be used for making electric circuits in my automatic signals. Fig. V is a representation of my pliable attachment to be placed above the engineers cab and which sets my pivoted arms into operation.

Similar letters refer to similar throughout the several drawings.

1 is a section of the main line of the railroad which I have divided into blocks 2. Let us suppose that a train enters from below going up the main track. As the engine passes the dotted line Y Y the pliable attachment 3 situated above the cab of the locomotive strikes the metallic pivoted arm 4 drawing it into the dotted position 5, and at the same time the pliable attachment 3 takes a position similar to that shown in dotted outline 6. The motion is stopped by the metallic stud 7 coming into contact-with the metallic pivoted arm as shown in dotted outline 5, and thereby forms an electric circuit as follows: Starting at metallic stud 7 the current is conveyed through metallic pivoted arm as shown in dotted outline 5 to an electric metallic pivot 8, thence through storage battery or other source of power 9 by wire 10. thence to electric metallic pivot 11 by wire 12, thence through metallic pivoted arm 13 similar in every respect to metallic pivoted arm 4, thence through metallic stud 14L similar in every respect to metallic stud 15, thence through electric signals 16 by means of wire 17 to electro-magnet 18,-, having encircled electro-magnet 18 it finally returns to metallic plug 7, thus completing the circuit. As the current encircles the electro-magnet 18 the said electro-magnet 18 becomes magnetized and holds fast the iron armature 88 fixed to pivoted arm 4 so that the said metallic pivoted arm is held in dotted position 5 and thereby maintains the electric circuit formed at metallic plug 7. The train now adparts ed by my automatic signals. Fig. II is a vances to section X X where the pliable attaclunent 3 hits metallic pivoted arm 19 and by an identical process as above described signals are put into operation. Upon advancing to section Z Z the pliable attachment 3 hits metallic pivoted. arm 13 carrying it to metallic plug 21, thus putting out signals 16 and establishing signals 22. As pivoted arm 13 is pushed to metallic plu 21 thereby breaking circuit in which signals 16 and electro-magnet 18 are located, the pivoted arm a being released by electro-magnet 18 falls back to its original position aided by spring 37. Arriving at section IV IV the pliable attachment 8 hits metallic pivoted arm carrying it by an identical repetition of the first pivoted arm ope 'ation to metallic plug 24, put ting out signals 20 and establishing signals 25. Thus we see the train is protected in advance by signals and in its rear by signals In a similar manner the train will proceed up the track over lapping block wires there will at all times be signals ahead and in the rear. In a similar manner a tram entering from above will put on signals so that they will be at all times established 1n its head and rear directions by means of the pivoted arms and pliable attachment on the right side of the 3 track and locomotive respectively as the train proceeds down the track.

In Fig. II, I accomplish exactly the same result and at the same time I simplify my 1 Thus the train upon arriving at section Y Y as the train goes up the track closes a circuit by i The pliable at- I tachment 3 having carried the metallic pivwiring system and power supply.

means previously described.

oted arm 26 to metallic plug 27, the electric signals 28 are set in operation in the followg ing manner. Starting at metallic plug ET the current is conveyed through metallic pivoted arm 26 to electric metallic pivot 25,, thence by wire 30 to neutral wire 31, thence through storage battery or other source ot power 32, thence to electric metallic pivot 33, thence to metallic plug 34: by means of metallic plug 35, thence through wire 36 and signals 28, thence through electro-niagnet system as previously described the current returns to metallic plug 27. is the train advances up track 1 the signals are identically operated as previously described thus having head and rear signals at all times.

In Fig. III the operation is identically as 1 described in Fig. II with the exception that y the metallic rails of the track 1 are used for i the neutral wire 31.

Having thus described my invention, the

and by means of the l following is what I claim as new therein,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. In a system of the class described, the combination of a source of electrical supply, of a. circuit com'iected with said source, train actuated means for closing said circuit, signaling devices and two metallic pivoted arms in said circuit. one metallic pivoted arm being adapted to be held by said electromagnet by means o'l. an iron armature on said pivoted arm, the other pivoted arm being adapted to break said circuit and simultaneously close a second circuit.

In a system of the class described, the combimition ot a system of ra'lroad blocks, each block over lapping its successors. a source of electrical supply, of a circuit connected with said source. train actuated means for closing said circuit. eleetro-magnet sigi naling devices and two metallic pivoted l arms in said circuit, one metallic pivoted arm being adapted to be held fast by said electro-magnet by means of an iron armature l on said pivoted arm, the other pivoted arm l being adapted to break said circuit and y simultaneously form a second circuit.

3. In a system of the class described, the combination of several. sources of electrical supply of several circuits connected with said source. one return wire being used for all of said circuits, train actuated means for closing each of said circuits, signaling de vices and two metallic PlVOltt'l arms in each of said circuits, one metallic pivoted arm being adapted to be held tliastby said electromagnet by means of: an iron armature on said pivoted. arm, the other pivoted arm being adapted to break said circuit and simultaneously close a second circuit.

-l-. In a system of the class described, the combination of several sources of electrical supply. of several circuits connected with i said sources, steel railroad rails being used as return wire tor all of said circuits. train actuated means for closing each of said circuits. signaling devices and two metallic y pivoted arms in each of said circuits. one metallic. pivoted arm being adapted to be 1 held .tast by said clectro-magnet by means of Lain iron armature on said pivoted arm, the

lr lither pivoted arm being adapted to break 1' said circuit and snnultzuieously close a second circuit.

\VILLIAM HEN RY ll AR-ltl S.

\Vitnesses GEORGE Fox, CHARLES L. I

Knrmoec. 

